Shot.
“Here’s the summary for me on Georgia,” PicKell said on The Hard Count. “I wholeheartedly believe they will be back in Atlanta playing Alabama for the SEC title game. Can they get there without one loss on their schedule? Remains to be seen. But when they get to that SEC title game, when they get to the potentially College Football Playoff or games where they have to score points — when they get into a corner and it says, ‘OK. You’ve got to score 35 to beat us. You’ve got to score 42 to beat us.’ Can Georgia score with those teams? Because, again, not a knock on Stetson Bennett, but we’ve seen when they put the ball into his hand and say, ‘Stetson, you’ve got to beat us,’ that hasn’t always worked out in Georgia’s favor.
“So ultimately, believe in this Georgia team, but believe that there are still some things they’ve got to put into place in order to get back to the mountaintop, to get back to hoisting that trophy. There’s tons of firepower here. Can you get all your ducks in a row? Can you mix all the ingredients together in the right capacity to get to where you need to be? Ultimately, if Georgia can have that leadership replaced on defense, can have other playmakers step up on the outside and then be able to utilize the talent they have on this team and put them in position to succeed, especially the tight end position, they’re going to be OK. Actually, they’ll be better than OK.”
While Steele was impressed with the Volunteers, he explained he still has Georgia winning the East and running the table during the regular season just like it did in 2021.
“All eight of their units rank in my top-20 units out there. And while the defense is young — they lost, what, 8-9 draft picks to the NFL [and] all those first-round draft picks — going over the defense with their coordinator [Glenn] Schumann, I think you’ve got a lot of talent. They go three-deep over on that defense as well,” Steele said. “I think at the end of the year, that defense is going to be somewhat close to last year. At the start of the year, they won’t be as close because of the inexperience level, but they’re going to have a very good defense and an improved offense.”
And you?
Get The Picture 
Georgia has lost once in the Smart era when scoring 30 or more. I’ll take my chances, but we’re going to be 12-0 entering Atlanta.
This defense is probably sick and tired of hearing how they are going to take a step back. The offense is probably sick and tired of being told they can’t carry their share.
GATA, men.
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“‘Stetson, you’ve got to beat us’, that hasn’t always worked out in Georgia’s favor.”
Let’s see, Bennett was on the losing side in one game as a Dawgs starter. So always = once. Got it.
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https://www.espn.com/college-football/game/_/gameId/401237107
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Stetson has lost 3 as a starter Bama twice and Florida.
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I won’t hold UF against him as we were up 14-0 when he went out with an injury. Over Stets first 170 minutes vs Alabama as a starter?
Not great.
I liked the last 10 minutes though.
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Good point.
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I can’t wait to see our Point Guard QB shut these SOB’s up. Spread it around Stetson.
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Love what they both say and have had the same thoughts all along, especially about the defense. Even with that, the vawls will be the team we have to hit 42+
And please, please! I hope the press keeps telling Honky McFailson IV that he can’t sling 300+ ypg
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Moe, the only way we need 42+ will be if the Defense takes the day off! Literally!
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“That hasn’t always worked out in Georgia’s favor..”
Wut?
True in the SECC, I guess, which really was our D getting shredded (BUT PAWWWWWLLLLL, THEY WAS ALL SICK WITH THE FLU AND HURT! Sauce for the goose, etc🙂). But seems to me like we scored plenty the rest of the year, choosing to go to the run to eat clock instead of piling up unneeded points. The one time the O struggled was in Charlotte (ALL OUR RECEIVERS AND 2 OGs WAS HURT, PAWWWWWWL AND STETSON DIDN’T EVEN PLAY!), and we won anyway. Insert your own joke about KIRBY CAN’T RECOGNIZE QB TALENT, PAWWWWWLLLLL here.
Basically, they think we suck, but they also think we have lots of depth, and no offense to Stetson, but he sucks, but oh by the way he won’t suck enough to hurt us, maybe. So, we suck, but we will also be in Atlanta, might be undefeated, could easily be in the playoffs, But we suck, though maybe we get lucky.
FTMF.Get your best hold, fuckers, here we come. 🙂
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“…suck…suck…suck…suck…”
Let’s just “suck” our way to another natty!
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I like lit – We suck but will still beat YOUR ass. Or better, Our QB isn’t great but we will still beat your ass. Best – We will beat your ass.
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Congratulations Phil, you concluded what most Dawgs already knew. With that said, I think we have a lot more confidence in Bennett than he does and a better understanding on just how good that WR Room actually is verses perception. (Lot of injuries in that room the last 3 years – if they stay healthy – it will be the ‘surprise’ for the rest of the country).
He’s dead on about the ‘D’ – if your going to get them; you had better get them before November. The Dawgs play 7 games, then get a week off and then get UF. By then, you know what you have. You spend that week off tweaking things and that sets you up for the final run – starting with Florida.
If the Dawgs are going to get bit, I think it’s either Oregon, Auburn or South Carolina. And the ball will have to bounce a lot to one of those schools way for that to happen. Can’t see them losing to UF (thank you Kirby) and by the time they get to November – nobody else on the schedule will match up.
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Not Auburn. We get lazy against USCe, UT or Missy St., maybe there is an upset. Lanning’s first game and in Prime Time? Not ready, even with Bo Nix running sideways for 800 yards.
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We’re going to have to assume, for now, that how we played offense for the first 50 minutes vs. Alabama in 2022 is as much “who we are with Stetson” as the last 10 minutes are. 13 points, barely over 200 yards and FIVE 3 and outs over the first 50 minutes just isn’t good enough in most championship settings.
Only a once in a lifetime defense allowed that sputtering mess to meaningfully rectify things. In most circumstances, the game is going to be out of reach if your offense is that ineffective over 3 plus quarters.
In short, the 2022 version of Georgia football is not a certainty to win anything of note, unless that offense gets better. I don’t think we can count on Alabama finishing with 18 points in the SECCG.
12-0 going into Atlanta is a fair bet. Leaving with a trophy and a playoff spot is very likely going to require Stetson to be a more polished passer, especially in obvious passing situations.
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If you assume how we played offense vs Alabama is “who we are with Stestson” you HAVE to assume that how Alabama offense vs Georgia is “who they are”. Two good teams played good defense and the Stetson led offense beat that Bama ass. We don’t even know at this point that Stetson will start all year. I don’t know that we win the SEC but, I like our chances as much or better than the other teams.
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Do they give out trophies for having better odds of beating Alabama than the other east division teams? Do you want one? I’m not interested in that. I’m interested in winning a SEC title, being 13-0, being the sole SEC rep and #1 seed in the playoff. We’re going to have to play better on offense to get that done.
I am afraid that this IS who they are on offense when they are at full strength:
You’d better be better prepared to keep up.
Drama at the qb position? At Georgia?? Surely you jest…
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Kirby threw that game.
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Derek, does that offense show the same way against the defense they saw in Indy? That’s the real question. Honestly, I don’t trust their OL and DL to outplay ours.
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Dallas Turner and Will Anderson are going to reek havoc on the edges. Who knows what they’ll have up the middle?
Their qb is special. I don’t care what anyone says, but that kid can play. He can extend plays and pass it. He can extend drives by tucking it. He is extremely accurate. IF they get any kind if running game and effort from the pass catchers they are going to be a threat to put up numbers against good defense.
We’ll also be very good. Need to see depth along the DL. We need to see discipline despite a lack of experience from the second and third level. We need to see improvement at qb.
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The first quarter + of the SECCG was pretty good, then the defense fell apart. Once we got down 2 scores in the second half, the pressing started again on the offense.
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I think a difference this year is this: Now, we know we can, instead of hoping we can. And, THEY know we can.
They’re good, of course; we haven’t suddenly discovered the magic formula to winning every game forever. But we have had talent. Now we have confidence based on accomplishment to go with it. Florida won two NCs in 3 years, including an SECC win over Bama in 2008. Bama won in 09.Neither has been the same since. Time will tell, but we all know the difference between anxiety and panic. Anxiety is the first time you can’t do it the second time. Panic is the second time you can’t do it the first time. Bama fans, for all their bravado, are a little anxious now. But if (anf it’s a big if) we take them down this year? That’s when the panic settles in.
FTMF.
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Hell of a good point…shaking off 41 years of close or we’ll get em next year…that instills confidence…we can slay the pink pachyderm…now knowing it’s possible…it’s just a matter of execution…this season’s Dawgs will have a different swagger
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I need a shower
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What concerns me is the “D”, not the offense. I think a more effective and polished version of Bennett will happen this year. On the “D” side what concerns me is the “Co-Coordinator situation. Who emerges as the alpha dawg: Shuman or Boom? Will those two butt heads or work together? Hard to imagine Boom being a coordinator by committee. Who makes the call in a tense situation when the two have different ideas and fast thinking is required? Kirby may have to referee some this year.
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Good point. Hopefully, Kirby has laid out explicit instructions for who is responsible for what.
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Mr. Armydawg,
Concerning who is running the defense?
It ain’t Boom, it ain’t Shuman, it is KIRBY.
I am nor worried.
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It’s been argued before that last season UGA had a lot of garbage time and pulled off the accelerator in the second halves, and in the national championship game, after he threw the interception, the Mailman stepped up…all true, all valid…
But this season’s offense is actually going to be more dominant. There will be more playmakers spreading the field for UGA…the more off-seasons Monken has, the more open our receiving corps gets. Once our Oline gels, this is going to be a magical offensive season for Georgia
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I don’t trust anyone who capitalizes a letter in the middle of their last name unless it begins with Mc, Mac, or O’.
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Making Stetson beat you resulted in a 33-18 natty win. Doubt him at your own peril.
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Well, I learned my lesson on talking about what Stetson can and can’t do, so at least I’m one up on that guy.
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Show me who scores 35 on us without Mookie Williams and then I’ll be worried.
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Our defense will be tested early and often against Oregon. They will know where to attack and where gains can be made offensively. The same will be true for their defense. But Oregon was a good team last year and will be about the same level this year. It will be an exciting game until about half time when our depth and athleticism take over.
Sleep walking / kink worked at next game with samford.
Carolina will be more of the same from week one. It will be a better chance for a misstep by the dawgs. Hot, away, 2-0, and Carolina has two weeks of film to dissect and look for weaknesses. They will do anything that worked for Oregon and it will be a close ride all the way to the fourth quarter. Beamer is playing with house money so he will do all he can to win and not just make it look competitive.
From there, there is nothing to worry or write about till the Florida game.
Honestly the season is set up great. Tennessee is the only real threat and it is later in the season and at home, barring massive injuries on the defense we will be ready for their hurry up.
MSU will be fun because it will be great practice for young slinging it around during the sec championship game.
Then an off week / tech.
12-0 regular season with plenty of opportunity to build depth after the Carolina game. Expect to see lots of rotation (especially on defense) during sec play against Mizzou, Vandy, auburn, and Florida.
Got to keep our line health though, along with running back.
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One year ago we were all talking about how the O was going to be fantastic with JT, spring and summer workouts, full off season with Monken, Pickens, etc.
Imma wait until we see who CKS trots out onto the field vs. Oregon which is another way to say let’s see who survives Fall camp. I hope CKS and his staff have thought long and hard about how to be physically dominant and also healthy for game 1.
I still think 12-0 has higher odds than 11-1 in my mind. Winning the SEC? Nah, not gonna touch that one yet.
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Phil Steele was on 680 this morning here in Atlanta. He said that he still thinks that Georgia has a top 5 defense in the nation going into 2022. I’ll take a top 5 defense any day of the week. Sure, Georgia lost a bunch of players to the draft. But Georgia also rotated players like crazy (as evidenced by the lack of individual stat leaders in one of the greatest defenses in history). The mighty Elephantidae had (past tense) a streak of 75 games going back to 2016 of scoring more than one offensive touchdown in a game before the CFP championship. Against the six teams Georgia played that finished ranked in the AP in 2021, Georgia gave up 1 rushing touchdown (SECCG to Bryce Young). The Georgia defense when looking at the entire depth chart gave up only three rushes of 20 yards or more for the entire season. And this has been a theme. When looking at the 2019, 2020, and 2021 seasons, Georgia only gave up 10 rushes of 20 yards or more in 39 games. The only team close was Iowa with 12 in four fewer games and Bama gave up 37 in the same three seasons. This defense is going to be fine and I expect that, barring injuries, this defense to dominant again by mid-October.
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Jaylon Carter may have been the best player on the 2021 defense that had 5 first rounders. He is going to wreak absolute havoc this year.
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